Beet-harvester.



J. K. ELLiOTT. BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23| 1915.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

glnhenhu' m Pdtnmrga J. K. ELLIOTT.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION man NOV. 23. ms. 1,201,280. v Patented Oct. 17,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

JOHN K. ELLIOTT, 0F MILLIKEN', CGLOBADO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 FRED J. RUSSELL, OF GREELEY, COLORADO.

BEET-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed November 23, 1915. Serial No. 63,067.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, JOHN K. ELLIOTT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Milliken, in the county of Weld and State.

of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to harrows and diggers, and more especially to beet pullers; and the object of the same is to produce a machine of this kind wherein the beets will be dugand lifted successfully, whatever their size. This objectis carried out by the use of a pair of peculiarly formed blades mounted in co-active relation on supporting standards which are yieldable laterally, the standards being carried by a running gear which includes mechanism whereby the.

driver can control the position of the pole so that at all times he may keep the frame adjusted to the rows of plants.

Details are set forth 'in the following specification and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure -I is a plan view, Fig. II is a side elevation, and Figs. .IIIand IV are details of the blade to be referred to hereinafter.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a frame substantially U shaped in plan view, with its open end forward and its sides connected by cross bars 2 and 3. The treadle 4 is centrally pivoted at 5 on cross bar 2 and has foot pieces at its extremities as shown, and near its ends it is connected by links 6 with a rock lever 7 centrally pivoted on the cross bar 3 and carrying or rigidly connected with a toothed segment 8. Engaging the teeth thereof are the teeth of a rack bar 9 to which the pole 10 is connected, and this bar slides behind rollers 11 and through guides 12 carried by the frame.

The beet diggers or blades 13 are of sheet metal and of complementary formation. Referring to Figs. III and IV, each blade is made of a piece of strap metal preferably cut off oblique on its upper side at its forward end as at a, its body pierced with holes 5, and its rear end cut off oblique on its lower side as at 0 and this oblique edge then given a wind or twist with respect to the fiat upright remaining portionfof the blade,

so that it is carried out of the plane of the same as seen in Fig. IV.

The dotted lines in Fig. III simulate the twist which would be given an anger, and the rear end (Z of the blade is bent into the line of this twist. Such is the construction of the left hand blade which is the uppermost in Fig. I, and the right hand blade is given a reverse construction so that it is complementary thereto.

By means of the holes I) each blade is riveted to the lower end .of an upright strap metal standard 14:, whose upper end is rigidly secured to the frame 1 and Whose body is then deflected inward slightlyfrom its point of attachment to the frame so that the two blades are brought into proximity as seen in Fig. I, with their rear ends nearly parallel and spaced, and their beveled front ends a. more remote from each other.

The numeral 15 designates a bowed or arched spring yoke whose extremities are riveted to the mid-length of the. standards let and whose body extends obliquely forward from said extremities so that the beet tops may pass under it while the machine is in operation. Norm-ally this yoke holds the blades about as seen in Fig. I, but when,

a large beet is engaged by them the yoke arms and standards yield to permit them to spread apart slightly. It will probably not be necessary to support the center of the yoke from the frame, although this may be done if desired.

The depth to which the blades may descend into the soil is regulated in any suitable manner, but as shown herein a crank axle 16 is employed, its ends carrying the main wheels 17, and its body carrying an upstanding lever 18 having the usual thumb latch and toothed sector device 19 so that it may be latched in any position in which it is set by the operator.

The front end of the frame is supported by caster wheels 20 whose shanks are vertically adjustable in any suitable manner as by being held to the frame by clamps 21.

The numeral 22 designates the drivers their pivots and turns the segment 8 so that the rack bar 9 and pole 10 are moved to the right which moves the frame to the left. Obviously with this control, he can guide the machine carefully and accurately so that the horses may travel between the rows of plants and avoid bruising them. Also the lateral adjustment of the pole with reference to the central line through the frame and therefore between the blades 13, will have its effect on the draft, and therefore this adjustment may be utilized to cause the blades 13 to accurately straddle a row of plants. All wheels having been set properly to cause the blades to enter the ground to the desired distance, as the machine moves forward with the blades astride a row of beets and the tops of the same passing under the yoke 15 and between the standards, the inwardly deflected rear ends of the blades pick up the beets and pull them from the ground without injury to them if said blades are given the proper wind or twist. hen an extra large sized beet is reached, its body crowds the blades apart and the spring standards and spring yoke-arms yield to permit, and this beet is pulled from the ground the same as would be the action on a smaller one. hen traveling from point to point the lever 18 is moved to throw the cranked ends of the axle 16 downward with respect to the framework and therefore to lift the framework (and possibly bodily lift the caster wheels) off the ground, and the blades rise with it and thereafter travel over the surface as will be clear.

While the parts are preferably of metal, I do not wish to be limited to the same, nor to the exact details of construction further than as set forth below.

hat I claim is:

1. A beet puller comprising a pair of blades having flat and substantially upright front ends and bodies and converging toward their rear ends, the rear portions of the blades having their lower edges twisted inward toward each other and their rear ends cut off on oblique lines and supports for said blades.

2. A beet puller comprising a pair of complementary blades, each having a substantially upright body with the lower edge of its rear end cut upwardly on an oblique line, and a pair of supports for holding said blades spaced and with their rear ends converging.

3. A beet puller comprising a pair of complementary blades, each having a substantially upright body with the upper edge of its front end cut downwardly on an oblique,

line and the lower edge of its rear end out upwardly on an oblique line, and a pair of supports for holding said blades spaced? 4%. In a beet puller, the combination with a pair of blades whose bodies stand normally upright and slightly spaced; of a running gear, standards depending therefrom and secured to said blades, and a resilient yoke with depending ends secured to said standards soas to permit their lower ends to be spread apart, for the purpose set forth.

In a beet puller, the combination with a pair of blades whose bodies stand normally upright and slightly spaced; of a wheeled vehicle including a frame, strap iron standards secured at their upper ends to the frame and at their lower ends to the blades, and a spring yoke of strap iron whose ends are secured to said standards and whose body rises obliquely forward from its ends, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a beet puller, the combination with a pair of blades whose bodies stand slightly spaced; of a vehicle including a frame mounted on wheels, strap iron standards secured at their upper ends to the frame and deflected inward at their lower ends which latter are attached to the blades, and a spring yoke of strap iron whose ends are secured to said standards and whose body is arched between its ends, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN K. ELLIOTT. \Vitnesses FRED J. RUssELL,

S. F. lVILsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

